Opia: OMG I'm updating! How you guys doing? Since E3 happened a little while ago, I'm going to do a small rant...
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess looks SO AWESOME! It's soooo beautiful!
-dies from the overwhelming awesomeness-
Cari: That was even shorter than I expected... Oh well... Enjoy the chapter.
The Legend of Zelda: The Orb of Bannon Ch. 8
Ranik moaned and sat up in his bed. He had a huge headache. A sharp pain in his neck caused him to gasp. Groaning, he ran his fingers over his neck, two bumps had formed closely together. He rubbed his throbbing temples.
"Gah… What truck hit me?" He mumbled.
"Good, you're awake."
Ranik's eyes shot open. Standing by his bed was Marinal, she was grinning.
"For a while there I thought you were going to die on me. The transformation process is so rough on a mortal body."
Memories of the dinner rushed back and Ranik's hand flew to his mouth. Abnormally long and sharp canines greeted his touch. Hand falling limply, he stared at the bed covers in front of him.
"… No…."
"Do you know how hard it is to find a mortal with enough physical durability to become my kind?" Marinal continued, "I've tried before, but you are the first to survive in a long, long time," She smiled broadly, "So how does it feel to be one of the creatures your family has hunted for years?"
Ranik's head jerked up. Chuckling, Marinal strode over to a solid metal container on Ranik's desk. Its locks had been completely ripped apart and the lid easily swung open. Carefully she reached in and took out an old paper scroll.
"I should have realized, it is so obvious now that I think about it…."
With a swift flick of her wrist Marinal unfurled it. On the parchment were paintings of very serious looking people. Near the beginning were two pictures, faded and worn with age. The first one was a tall, strong looking woman in silver partial body armor. Her silver hair was tied neatly in a bun. The next was of a young man with blond hair covering one of his intense red eyes. He wore a blue bodysuit over which he wore a length of ratty cloth that came up to hide the lower half of his face.
"The Shiekah, sworn to protect the royal family. And ever since a specific incident involving a certain cross-dressing princess the Shiekah's duties extended to guiding the hero as well…."
"How did you…?" Ranik growled.
"Oh, the tattoo on your back was a dead giveaway."
Looking down he realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. On his back was the symbol of an eye shedding a single teardrop tattooed in black. He scowled.
"Don't look at me like that," Marinal laughed, "It's not a charming look for you. By the way, red eyes suit you so much more…" She took out another scroll and unfurled it, "My, my. Your bloodline is exquisite, a straight descendant of Impa the Shadow Sage."
"Don't disgrace her name by speaking it with your foul tongue."
"Disgrace," Marinal chuckled, rolling up the ancient parchment, "What would your clan say about you now? A vampire. You'll go down in their records as a traitor, just like Yillan."
"She betrayed us and aided you in the destruction of the Hero. She spilt his blood in your name. DO NOT compare me to that treacherous witch!"
"You have more in common than you think. Your family is very proud. 'Betrayer' is a word I would never have associated with that girl, unless directed towards me of course. Oh, how she tried to oppose me… It was all in vain though; her will wasn't strong enough to combat both my influence and her vampiric instincts… Such a waste…."
Marinal grew quiet, her eyes seeming to gaze off at a time ages past. Ranik got out of bed, groaning as pain shot up through his aching body.
"I'll die… before I become one of your loyal servants."
This seemed to snap Marinal back into reality, for she looked at him in amusement.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice. The only thing that can kill you is sunlight," the vampire pointed one delicate finger at Ranik's neck, "and that has already been taken care of."
A small metal chain adorned with a single blood red gem was wrapped around his neck. Marinal smiled as his fingers reached up and griped the chain.
"Don't even think about breaking it," She said, "That metal is a kind unknown to this side of the world. Even I can't break that chain, you have no hope to."
Ranik bared his teeth, "Even so, I will never obey you." He strode to the door.
"'Servant' is not the correct word, my dear Ranik… I do believe 'marionette' would be closer."
His body froze in mid-step. Ranik found himself turning back to Marinal against his will. She grinned and beckoned him with a single finger. Slowly, he moved towards her.
"I told you," Said Marinal, closing the gap between them, "You don't have a choice… about anything."
Ranik's hand lifted and pushed a strand of Marinal's hair behind her ear.
"Some of my blood runs through your veins now. In many ways you are just an extension of me," She kissed him briefly, then laughed, "I know you hate me with all your heart. Go ahead; let some of that anger out. Curse me in every language you know, and I know you are fluent in many."
Throughout the next hour muttered curses, both common and exotic, could be heard from outside Ranik's door.
xxxxxxx
"It's about time you came back!" Yelled Dark Link as Link closed the motel room door behind him.
The boy didn't say a word as he flopped down onto one of the beds and gazed up at the ceiling. Dark looked at the boy for a moment, then walked over and placed a hand on his forehead.
"What the hell are you doing!" Link yelled as he bolted upright and batted the shadow's hand away.
The door to the room opened.
"From the shouting I take it Link's back."
Saria and Adlez walked into the room. Adlez was sweating and breathing hard.
"He seems to have had a good time while away," Dark Link smirked, "He met a young Zora named Ruto…."
Link looked at him, "How did you—?"
"Well that's a bit of nostalgia for you," Saria said, jumping into one of the chairs.
"And he likes her!"
"Really?" Saria looked interested, "Now that's new!"
Link blushed slightly, "I-I-I…" He huffed and crossed his arms, "I just met her on the street, we're friends."
"Sure you are," Dark Link grinned mischievously, "Would you like to tell the girls what you did with your new 'friend'?"
Link jumped off the bed; "It's none of their damn business! I don't know what the hell you did, but what I do with my spare time is not something you need to know!"
He turned to stomp off, but Dark's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.
"Now where do you think you're going?"
Link cried out, the shadow's nails were digging deep into his skin. He turned to pry his arm from Dark Link's grasp, but as he saw his captor he froze. Dark Link's eyes were narrow and glowing with a cruelty the boy had never seen before. His grin was wicked and the aura around him was pure malice. Link cried out again as the shadow's grip grew tighter, nails puncturing his skin.
"L-let go!" Link yelled, fear in his voice.
"Stupid boy," Dark's voice was low, "Did you even think for one second how Adlez would feel when she found out you had kissed another girl."
Link's eyes darted over to Adlez. She was staring at him, a shocked expression on her face. Suddenly Dark Link groaned and staggered back, releasing the boy. He rubbed his eyelids and temples as if he had a sudden migraine. Looking up, his expression was back to normal. Link's bloody wrist caught his attention.
"No… No, I–" Dark looked at Adlez's now teary-eyed face, "I didn't, I didn't mean–" Sinking to the ground, he held his head in dismay, "Damn it… not again…"
Link clutched his arm while staring at the shadow in disbelief. Saria slid off her chair and walked over to Link. She crouched down next to Dark Link.
"Dark?" Saria reached out a hand to touch his shoulder.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Dark Link screamed, his form dissolving into thin air.
"Dark! Come back!" Saria sighed, she knew it was futile.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Silently, Adlez walked over to Link. Her voice was quiet when she spoke.
"Link… What Dark Link said… is it true?"
"Adlez…."
"Answer me."
Link looked away. Tears welling up in her eyes, Adlez slapped him.
"Jerk!" She yelled.
Grabbing her coat, she ran out the door, slamming it behind her. Saria stared silently at the now nearly empty room.
In less than five minutes our group has broken up again, Saria thought, I don't know if we'll be able to stop Marinal if this keeps up. And Dark Link… the last time I saw him look like that was… She shivered, this situation has gone from bad to worse.
Saria looked at Link. He was standing in the same place Adlez left him, staring off into space. She walked over to him and squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"It's late… you better get some sleep… She will come back, don't you worry…."
At least, she thought, I hope she does.
Opia: More playing with Vampires and some scaryness from Dark Link. O.o;;
Cari: And you have just enough left in your notebook for one more chapter.
Opia: Yep! One more chapter and the Orb of Bannon notebook is history... and off to a bigger one of course.
Cari: That's what you get for using multiple subject notebooks...
Opia: Review please!